After a nightmare 60 odd mile journey in which I lost all faith with 'Easymaps' downloaded directions, and seriously pondered the purchase of a TomTom, (at least then there would be something solid to take your frustration out on), I had arrived.
I had taken a couple of detours along the way. I had missed a turn off, or two, and tried to leave my cars sump and/or exhaust stuck on a rock in the middle of one of those country lanes that even cows must be wary of walking on. The sort with two ditches, spaced out exactly where the tyes would usually be, and a raised madly cobbled bit down the middle that makes it impassible to anyone who doesn't have a land rover or a chieftain tank.
And then after asking directions from a local chap, (always a bit iffy), I did a heart stopping, mud churning seven point turn and following his directions took the first right , where I found myself trying to drive up a narrow road that really should have had stairs built into it, but instead had some slippy gravelly substance that my tyres just wouldn't grip. Even in first gear with the engine screaming away in desperation, and the rev counter visiting a part of the dial it had never been before, I was still sliding backwards. So after admitting defeat and semi-freewheeling backwards for half a mile, navigating several chicanes and squeezed between two dry stone walls, I did the sort of reverse hairpin handbrake turn at the bottom that a boy racer would be proud of, and took the other first right.
Then, after finally arriving at the right place and parking in the only feasible parking area, which basically involved practically embedding the passenger side into the wall so any other traffic could still pass, I climbed down a very steep, very slippy, very muddy track, where gravity and a heavy camera bag combined more than once to attempt to drag me to the bottom of this ravine a lot faster than I would have liked. (Although I did discover at this point that a manfrotto tripod makes a very handy trekking pole when required.)
Until finally, emerging from the trees, I found myself standing in a cold dark wet cavernous place where my first thoughts were that at least i had remembered, for once, to bring some spare socks, and that maybe I should avoid offering to organise any club trips for the time being.
Then, the rain, that had been dogging my steps all the way from home, decided that this was an ideal time for us to get aquainted ...
But was it worth it ??
Is any subject in pursuit of our collective hobby worth all this hassle..?
Well if you have ever been to Scalebar Force, then you will already know.
Damn right it is
...... I am already planning to go back and put myself through it all over again, probably in the autumn, when my boots have dried out.
